PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — It’s already illegal to park in a bus lane in Philadelphia, but starting May 7, violators will be detected by cameras mounted inside the windshields of SEPTA buses and trolleys.
The cameras use artificial intelligence from the San Francisco firm Hayden AI to determine which vehicles are breaking the law. It’s an effort to ease congestion and improve safety for riders with disabilities.
“We’re going to apply certain algorithms to that map that allow us to very clearly identify the vehicles that are parked illegally and obstructing those bus lanes and bus zones,” said Charley Territo, of Hayden AI.
Those images are then reviewed by staff at Philadelphia Parking Authority before tickets are mailed out. A two-month trial of this technology in Philadelphia last year found 36,000 violators. They weren’t given tickets. But, after a three-week warning period beginning April 16, PPA Executive Director Rich Lazer says $76 fines will be issued for bus lane violations in Center City and $51 for ones outside Center City.
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“If they’re idle in a bus lane — so no stopping. You’re not allowed to stop in a bus lane. If you’re double parking, that’s a violation. So if you’re double parking next to the bus lane, you can’t because you’re also blocking traffic and the flow of traffic. And you can’t block a bus zone,” Lazer said.